John H. Gear

John Henry Gear ( born April 7, 1825 Ithaca, New York, † July 14, 1900 in Washington DC ) is an American politician ( Republican). He represented the state of Iowa in both chambers of Congress and also served as its governor.

As a child Gear moved with his parents to Galena (Illinois ); later the family lived in Fort Snelling and Burlington, Iowa, where he was active as a businessman. In 1863 he was elected mayor of Burlington; 1871 to 1873 he was a member of the House of Representatives from Iowa, whose speaker he was.

1878 John Gear was the eleventh Governor of the State of Iowa, which he remained until 1881. In 1887, he ran successfully for a seat in the then U.S. House of Representatives, which he successfully defended once. After missing re-election he had to leave the Congress in 1891; The following year, U.S. President Benjamin Harrison appointed him Deputy Minister of Finance.

1893 Gear then returned for a legislative period in the House of Representatives before he was elected in 1894 for Iowa in the U.S. Senate. He was chairman of the Committee on the Pacific Railroad. In 1900 he was confirmed by the voters, but he died before the commencement of his second term as senator.